Black Friday shoppers stake out hottest toys of 2012

Classic toys from my childhood have made a come back for 2012, but not without a few advances in technology.

After covering Thanksgiving Day shopping, I had a list of information on the hottest toys that shoppers were snatching off of shelves at Toys R Us in West Manchester Township. Not all of the information was included in the story (there’s just so much!), so I’ve laid it out here, just in case you didn’t finish all your holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

Kerry Smith, spokeswoman with Toys R Us, said stores opened at 8 p.m. Thursday after a positive response from last year’s holiday shopping starting at 9 p.m.

“People like to get their shopping done early without getting up early,” Smith said.

Despite doors being closed, stores were operating on 24-hour shifts to stock shelves with all the toys they expected shoppers to place under the tree this year.

New for 2012

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The Micro Chargers Time Track Race Track shows we really do live in an age of speed. These micro-size race cars are no bigger than an inch and charge in less than five seconds before they race around a track to reach scaled speeds of 60 mph.

Parents looking for a family-friendly tablet for their children can find Tabeo at Toys R Us stores, Smith said. The 7-inch tablet allows up to eight profiles on each pad. It also allows parents to create restrictions for each user, such as a play timer, time of day it can be turned on and Internet controls.

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Did you get your kids a Tickle Me Elmo years ago? This year’s hot tot gift is Bounce Bounce Tigger. The orange cat from Winne the Pooh sits on a coiled tail and when his paw is pressed he “wiggle wiggles wiggles” to sing songs and recite some of his favorite phrases.

Making a come back

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Remember Ferbie? The little fuzzy toy from the 90s made a comeback this year, but it’s got some technological advances. Users can download apps on their iPad or iPhone to feed Ferbie and finally translate “Ferbish” — the language of the Ferbies.

A hot comeback for boys is the Big Wheel Racer, which came out in 1969, Smith said. This plastic bike still has a classic red, blue and yellow displaying, making it a nostalgic gift to give to little ones this year.